THE TALIBAN SAY THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PEACE TALKS...TO END THE TEN-YEAR WAR IN AFGHANISTAN.
WASHINGTON'S INTERESTED TOO...BUT SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON SAYS THE U-S CAN'T FORCE THE AFGHAN PRESIDENT HAMID KARZAI TO SIT DOWN WITH THE ENEMY.

CLINTON says: " the United States remains strongly committed to helping build a secure, peaceful, prosperous, democratic future for the people of Afghanistan. And we will continue to support efforts that will be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned to pursue the possibility of reconciliation and peace. We don't have any idea standing here today what the outcome of such discussions could be. I think all of us are entering into it with a very realistic sense of what is possible. And that includes, of course, President Karzai and his government, which after all bear the ultimate responsibility and the consequences of any such discussions."
A SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL WILL MEET KARZAI NEXT WEEK IN AFGHANISTAN.
CLINTON SAYS DISTURBING VIDEO...WHICH APPEARS TO SHOW MARINES URINATING ON THE CORPSES OF TALIBAN FIGHTERS...SHOULD NOT BE AN OBSTACLE TO PEACE TALKS.